Wine grape growers concerned about stormy weather

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SEBASTAPOL: Grape Growers Concerned About Affect Of...

SONOMA, Calif. -- Monday evening brought the kind of cold, wet weather grape growers don't want to see in the middle of May when millions of acres of vines are developing fruit clusters.

Grapes need warm weather to grow, and the current stretch of wet and chilly weather wasn't proving it for Napa County growers.

But they are coming along a bit slow this year and that turns out to be a good thing, since they're all wet.

The manager of the Sebastopol Wine Club said there's a lot of concern the rainy weather will hurt the grapes.

"Grapes like it hot. The problem is if they get wet and get fungus," said Meekk Shelef of the Sonoma Wine Shop. "It needs to dry up for us and stop raining and get warm. Then we'll be happy."

Dutton brothers Steve and Joe farm more than a thousand acres of grapes for 60 different wineries, mostly grapes that produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Growers prune the vines to let air and sunlight in and treat them to fight mold and fungus. Rain during this part of the season isn't welcome, but the wet weather is not nearly as bad as it would be later when the vines are flowering into grapes.

"Any rain during the bloom period, which is a two-week period around June first, would not be good for us," said Steve Dutton.

The potential berries won't form and then the crop is lost for the year. That's why the heat can't come soon enough for those who work in the industry.

Last year's harvest was good quality, but the quantities were smaller.

"It needs to warm up. Last two summers have been cool, and we hope this one's not quite as cool," said Nick Frey of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission.

It's always a challenge for growers, whether it's erratic weather, insects, even wildfire smoke.

"Seems like every year brings a new pest, or a new something. So this is mother nature. We've been dealing with her for a long time," said Joe Dutton.

By far, the worst rain for grapes isn't now but in the fall when it can rot the fruit as it's ready to pick.